Trailer-truck



A. B. CADMAN.

TRAILER TRUCK.

APPLICATION FILED Nov. 2. 19u.

1,304,261.; 'Y Patented May 20, 1919,

IIIH-IlIII I. J

ffl/1%@ v ETTB WRHELMS CORP NV i UNITED s', Il A"'1 -ns PATENT' (inercia.4

DDI BENJAMIN CADMAN, or-BnLoIT,. WISCONSIN, -Ass1GNon, .BY MnsNn ASSIGN- MENTS, To WARNER -MANuFAo'rtmINey CORPORATION OIE WISCONSIN.

To all whoin t may concern: Be it known that I, `ADDI isconsin, have invented certain new and use ul Improvements in Trailer-Trucks, of

which the following is a specification. f

The invention relates to a trailer truck i of the type adapted to behitched onto a Y plurality-of trucks connected' together in .av

l a draw-bar o motor vehiclel or other drawing unit and coupled together with any desired number of .trucks to form a train, andwhich is preferably reversible by'A reason of. itsbeingof duplicate construction at opposite Vlds, so i that the truck may be drawn, or steef` from i either end; and the invention relatesfinore. particularly to -the draw-bars forming'. lthe coupling members between the drawing unit and the trucks or between the severalt'rucks In the use of trailer'trucks of the type -setv .the truck unit, or to other causes, will be cushioned; and it 1s one of the obJeots of my invention to provide a trailer truck having will effectively accomplish the cushioning efect desired.

A further object of the invention is to provide a `trailer truck having a draw-bar which may be locked in a central posltion I u' with reference to the truck frame,-when said draw-bar is Vat the end of the truck forming the rear end, without interfering withthe cushioning operation ofthe draw-bar.

The objects of the invention thus generally statedtogether with other and ancillary advantages, are attained by the constructlon and arrangement illustrated in the accom-U panying drawings forming part hereof, 1n

which Figure 1.' .1s a fragmental. topplan view of one end of a trailer truck havmg a draw-bar' thereon embodying my invention,

a portion ,of the draw-bar eing shown in section. Fig. 2 is a sectional viewon line 2-2 Fig. 1, a portion of the draw-bar being shown in elevation.

In the drawings, Ijhave illustrated a pre- BEN'JnMiN C p-f MAN, a citizen of 'the United States, residingat Beloit, in the county of Rock and State improved construction lwhich COMPANY, or sourir BELorr, ILLINoIs', A

. TBAILERFTRUcii. 'i

` Specification of Letters Patent. Patented May 2 0, 1919.

Original application filed December 6, 1916, -Serial No. 135,419. Divided and this application filed November'- 2, 1917. Serial`.N0. 199,818.

ferred form of truck embodying my invention. A Such truck, which 1s described and claimed in my copending vapplication Serial No. 135,419', filed December 6, 1916, and of which this'appliCatiOn vis a division, comprises 'a rectangular -body frame 10 of any common or preferred construction, which 1s supported at its sides through the medium ofi two springsll from an axle 12. Wheels' i 13 are mounted on journals carried by steerin'g knuckles 14: which are pivotedto opf posite ends of the 'axle to swing on vertical axes 15. Each steering lmuckle hasan arm 16 whichextends longitudinally toward the middle-of the frame, and the ltwo arms are directly connected by a rigid transverse tie member or rod 17, the ends ofwhich are pivoted tothe ends of the arms.

, .The'draw-bar 18 is pivoted by means of a 'vertical king pin 19 to a cross-piece 20 form- ..fing a rigidpart ofthe frame 10. The'endof said bar which ,is nearest the center of the ,truck, which for convenience may lne-termed therear end, is suitably connected to the tie rod, 17. as by means of vertically and hori- 'zontally disposed yoke members 21 and 22 -pivotally connected togetherand tothe'- tie rod and draw-bar respectively.- The forward end of said draw-bar. extends through a horizontal elongated guideway 23 provided between two bars formingthe end of the body frame 10, lwhereby the draw-bar is snugly held to prevent verticalA movement' y with respect to the body frame but to allow horizontal swinging movementof the bar for steering purposes. i l

The draw-bar is of spring cushioned construction' and comprises4 an outer tubular member 18a which .is pivoted at its rear end to the body frame and an inner member 18b which is slidably mounted in the outer member. Said outer member 18at is formed from two similar upper and-lower sections secured together by means of bolts 24`and near the rear'end of the draw-bar said sections arenshaped to form a casing 25 having end wallsl 25a and 25". The forwardwall '25a of said casing is provided with an opening26 through which the rear end of the slidable member 18b passes,and near its rear end said'member 18" is provided with an enlargement or bearing head 27 between the opposite sides of which and the forward ETI each springin which groove one sidevof thespring is` adapted to lie and is thus sup ported against or downwardly.

On the forward end of the inner member movement either upwardly i of the draw-bar, a coupling head BO of any preferred construction. is provided by means of which the draw-bar is coupled to the draft device attached to the drawing' vehicle or to the vehicle to be drawn; and at the 'end of the truck frame a suitable locking device is provided by meansI of which the draw-bar may be locked in its intermediate or Central position when the end of the truck becomes the rear end in hauling. Said lock preferably comprises a latch or retaining member 3l pivoted at 32 to the end of the body frame l0, and a pair of upstanding lugs forming a keeper 33 on tlie pivoted or tubular member 18' of the draw-bar adapted to receive the retaining member. The draw-bar may thus be locked in position without interfering with the spring-cushioned movements of the member 18b of the draw-bar. v I claim as my invention:

l. A trailer truck having, in combination with a body frame, a draw-bar comprisingv two members, one slidable longitudinally within the other, the outer member being shaped near one end to form a housing, and

. a pair of springs entered in said housing and arran ed to engage with the inner member to cus ion its movements in opposite directions, one of said-members being provided with grooves for retaining said springs in position between the inner memberand a side wall of the housing.

2. A trailertruck having, in combination with a body frame, a draw-bar comprising two members, one slidable within the other, the outer member being shaped to form near one end a housing and the inner member having a transverse enlargement spaced forwardly from its rear end and fitting neatly between the side walls of said housing, and a pair of coiled springs on each side of the inner member bearing between said va body frame having a cross-piece, a drawbar comprising two members relatively slidable longitudinally. one within the other, the outer one of said members being formed in two substantially similar sections secured together and constructed so as to straddle the cross-piece of theframe to which they are pivoted, and springs mounted within said sectional draw-bar and acting upon the inner member to cushion the movements of the latter in opposite directions. 7 V

fl. A trailer truck having, in combination, a body frame, a draw-bar includin v' two members relatively slidablelongitu mally` of each other, one ofsaid members being operatively associated with the body frame and the other one of said membersbeing -arranged to be coupled to ay unit to be drawn, means acting to cushion the movements of one member relative tothe other, and means engaging with the member associated with the frame :tor locking said draw-bar in central position with reference to the body frame, whereby thevcoupled member of the draw-bar may be slid longitudinally with reference to the other member while locked against swinging movement,

5, A trailer truck having, in combination, i

a body frame comprising a crosspiece, and further comprising end bars providing a horizontal elongated guideway; a draw-bar comprising an outer tubular member pivoted to the middle of said crosspiece and passing through said guideway to be guided therein, an inner member mounted to slide longitudi-u nally within said outer member, said inner member having a couplin lhead on its free end, and springs within t e outer member and. act'mg on the inner member to cushion the movementsof the latter; and means for lookin the outer member ofthe draw-bar in centra? position with reference to the body frame whereby the inner member of the draw-bar mayv be slid longitudinally with A110 reference to the outer member.

In testimony whereof, l have hereunto set my hand.'

ADDI ENJAMIN CADMAN. 

